The First Avenger: Captain America

[cnath.rm]

Well, it's looking like we have Cap, Bucky, and the Red Skull cast now, thoughts from everyone?

Lots of stories/links on the casting and such HERE (http://splashpage.mtv.com/tag/the-first-avenger-captain-america/)

[Space Cadet B^3]

Too soon to tell? Script might be everything

[cnath.rm]

Too soon to tell? Script might be everythingIndeed.

I've only seen the lead in Push and the Fantastic Four movies, and he was fine, I'm just not sure if I think he can pull off being Cap.

[Northcott]

That's the trick. It's more difficult playing the square-jawed straight man than many people seem to think. With the right actor, it can be awesome. With anybody who's not a perfect fit, it comes across clunky and cheesy. Just look at the various screen and television versions of Superman to see that one: Christopher Reeve owned the role, while many other actors have simply stood in his shadow. It takes a deceptively good actor to pull depth out of what is technically a simple performance.

On the other hand, there's Thor... which I'm very hesitant about. Hiring a skinny pretty-boy to play the Norse god of Storm, War, and Strength leaves me with a bad, twitching feeling. I'm hoping they throw him in a costume that does a good job of making him look bulkier. As it is, he's one of those ultra-lean pretty-boys that looks like he needs a sammich ASAP.

[TiQuinn]

Haven't seen Push, but he was pretty good in Sunshine.

[Northcott]

It's the mask that's the sticking point for me. I'm sure they'll bulk him up a little for the role, and Cap was supposed to be as much a gymnast as a muscular wonder -- the steroid-look is mostly a modern thing. Kirby depicted him as powerfully built, but not bulky. Cap came up against larger-built foes (non super-powered, too) often enough, and triumphed over them not because of brute strength, but because he was agile and out-thought them. Then he'd turn around and toss people around like ragdolls.

But that mask... that mask is hard to make look good in photos or film. It usually works so much better as a comic book conceit. Put it on a real human face, and it starts to look goofy. Spider-Man's mask covers entirely, and so works. The 'diamond' masks have a certain classic flare to them, and can wear well. Batman's mask, transformed into armour, has the innate scowl that's needed to make the character seem grim. But Cap? Cap can't go around scowling all the time, or he loses a sense of character -- and would look psychotic when smiling. The character needs that square-jawed edge, but such masks, being tight-fitting constructs -- tend to make the bottom of a person's face look puffy because of the constriction of cloth or other material.

The costume designers have their work cut out for them. Though there is an advantage in Cap's costume being designed to serve as armour; they can use materials that add some fake muscle, and create a more comic-book physique, while the actor is fit enough to make it seem real. He's still going to have some crazy physical training to go through to pull this off -- if, like many others, he prefers to do his own light stuntwork and fight scenes.

[wigley]

I suspect they will go with something closer to his costume from The Ultimates.

[Northcott]

They'll try and design something that looks a little like some S&M mask, I think. ;) I imagine the Ultimates design will tie into it to a large degree, yeah -- it was a great take on a WWII Cap that was part superhero but all soldier. They'll probably try for a look that segues more gracefully into his modern look, though. They've got a pretty boy playing Cap -- they're not going to want to cover up his face with a very clunky-looking mask for too long.

[cnath.rm]

Haven't seen Push, but he was pretty good in Sunshine.I saw a part of it and have been wondering if I need to check it out, good is it?

I suspect they will go with something closer to his costume from The Ultimates.I'm wondering if they will start with the RW&B suit and then move towards the Ultimates design as he goes rogue to get into combat (instead of USO shows/dancing girls) and then "learns how the suit has meaning as a symbol" or however the director put it...

[Ergeheilalt]

RISE FROM THE DEAD, FELL THREAD

Now that's done. I saw Captain America this weekend. A short review follows (with no spoilers.

Captain America is 100% an origin story. We meet Cap in the streets of Brooklyn. Great effort is made to make Cap seem rather provincial and pure of spirit. Sometimes it works successfully, other times it come off corny as hell. That said, there is a lot to be enjoyed. The action is entertaining and Tommy Lee Jones is awesome whenever he's on screen. Hugo Weaving is an awesome villain and Redskull looks excellent. Cap's team of military specialists were awesome and felt like old-school Hollywood war film actors. The special effects are great - particularly the Hydra-tech. The scrawny pre-Cap Steve Rogers was kinda unconvincing. Looked... off. That was my only visual complaint.

The movie transitions directly into the prologue of The Avengers and the end of the credits bonus clip was essentially a trailer for the Avengers.

If you like comic book movies - go see it. If you don't, don't see it. It's every bit a comic book movie.

[Glass]

Dude, I loved that they gave Cap the Howling Commandos, and I loved the guys playing. Especially the guy they cast as Dum Dum Dugan.

I think it was definitely one of the better comic movies I've seen in the last few years, definitely one of Marvel's best offerings, and probably the best pulp film I've seen in the past 10 years.

[cnath.rm]

Dude, I loved that they gave Cap the Howling Commandos, and I loved the guys playing. Especially the guy they cast as Dum Dum Dugan.How do they deal with Fury as far as the Howling Commandos? Do they leave him out considering that blacks weren't normally allowed in combat units for much of the war or did they have a white fury?

I think it was definitely one of the better comic movies I've seen in the last few years, definitely one of Marvel's best offerings, and probably the best pulp film I've seen in the past 10 years.Now I'm looking forward to it even more... :) But then the only person whose movie I'd be looking forward to even close to as much as Cap's would be a Hawkeye movie if they did it right. :)

[Glass]

How do they deal with Fury as far as the Howling Commandos? Do they leave him out considering that blacks weren't normally allowed in combat units for much of the war or did they have a white fury?

Now I'm looking forward to it even more... :) But then the only person whose movie I'd be looking forward to even close to as much as Cap's would be a Hawkeye movie if they did it right. :)
There was a black guy in the unit, so nothing like that(also in a tiny bit of trivia, the Howling Commandos were an integrated unit in the comics, despite American forces not integrating until after the war); Fury's a modern member of the Marvel Films universe(played by Samuel "BAMF" Jackson), so he doesn't figure into the WW2 era of the Marvel Films.

And god, I would love a Hawkeye movie. But he's going to figure in the Avengers movie and the actor looks good, so I'm going to be happy with that. :)

[cnath.rm]

There was a black guy in the unit, so nothing like that(also in a tiny bit of trivia, the Howling Commandos were an integrated unit in the comics, despite American forces not integrating until after the war); Fury's a modern member of the Marvel Films universe(played by Samuel "BAMF" Jackson), so he doesn't figure into the WW2 era of the Marvel Films.Yeah, it's from the Ultimates line, though I still think it could (mostly) have worked seeing as how the unit was integrated. A black officer would have been a stretch however I know.

And god, I would love a Hawkeye movie. But he's going to figure in the Avengers movie and the actor looks good, so I'm going to be happy with that. :):P and Iron Man 2 already messed up the origin what with the Black Widow suddenly not being Russian anymore. (but she's hot so I'll mostly forgive it...)

[Dacke]

Fury's a modern member of the Marvel Films universe(played by Samuel "BAMF" Jackson), so he doesn't figure into the WW2 era of the Marvel Films.
In the comics, both regular and Ultimate (though for different reasons), Nick Fury doesn't age. He was around in WW2, and he's still around today, without any cryogenic shenanigans. I don't know if they decided to go with that for the movies, though.

[hobbiteer]

I went and saw this for the midnight release. I felt it was awesome. A total origin story and very comic book. I do agree, the skinny pre cap bothered me. Visually, it was blended fine, just the over all impression was that something wasn't right.

The cast was great, and whoever played the main female lead had my attention at all times. It's been a while since I had seen a movie that I didn't think had some flaw such as writing or screen play. Or relied too heavily on cgi. I felt this was well done in all that. Just the skinny pre cap bothered me.

[Elijah Snow]

I dug it as well. Regarding skinny Cap, it seemed to me that his head was just a tad too big. Loved the Avengers preview, and thought that for those who didn't wait for it, the ending might have been a bit of a downer...